TBA 7

Winless in six starts as a 2-year-old, Abiding Star has yet to lose since turning 3 with five straight victories including three consecutive stakes.

A bay son of Uncle Mo, Abiding Star has steadily climbed the ranks since breaking his maiden on New Year’s Day 2016 at Laurel Park. He came back to win a Feb. 29 allowance at Parx before returning to Laurel to take the Private Terms March 12 in his stakes debut.

Following that race, the connections of Abiding Star paid $6,000 to make him a late nomination to the Triple Crown with the Preakness in mind. An outbreak of the equine herpesvirus at Parx in April prevented any horses from leaving or entering the grounds, and he was unable to make an anticipated start in the April 9 Federico Tesio at Laurel, a ‘Win and You’re In’ event for the Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.

Abiding Star ran twice during the quarantine period, winning an optional claiming allowance April 12 by 8 ¾ lengths over favored Nasa and the Parx Derby May 7 by 1 ¾ lengths as the heavy favorite.

Jockey

J.D. Acosta

Since arriving in Maryland from Puerto Rico in 2002, J.D. Acosta has won six riding titles at Timonium and reached 200 wins eight times, reaching career highs of 322 wins – ranking third nationally – and $6 million in purses in 2008.

On April 14, 2002 Acosta’s rode his first domestic winner, Right Decision at Pimlico Race Course. A top five rider at Charles Town since 2003, he won the 2013 General George Handicap (G3) with Javerre.

Acosta was the primary rider for Rapid Redux during his record-setting 2011 season, aboard for seven of his 19 victories including a pair of wins at Laurel Park. The same year, he won seven races with Call of a Lion, topped by the Maryland Million Distaff Starter.

Approaching 3,000 career wins, Acosta is a good friend of Puerto Rican boxing legend Felix Trinidad.

Acosta was working at a 7-11 convenience store in Puerto Rico when a teacher from the local jockey school noticed him and convinced him to attend. He graduated from El Commandante in December 2001, began riding in January 2002 and rode 28 winners before moving to the U.S.

Owner

Stonehedge LLC

Gilbert Campbell and his wife, Marilyn, are winter residents of Marco Island, Fla. In 1988, they purchased historic Waldemar Farm in Williston, Fla. – a 500-acre spread which stood What a Pleasure and sons Foolish Pleasure, winner of the 1975 Kentucky Derby, and Honest Pleasure, the 1976 Derby runner-up – and renamed it Stonehedge Farm South.

A prominent real estate developer in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, Campbell had success right away as an owner. His first horse, Shananie, owned in part with late Peter Fuller of Mom’s Command fame, won the 1984 J.O. Tobin Handicap at Delaware Park and the 1985 Engine One Stakes at Belmont Park.

Elected to the New England Turf Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2009, Campbell has bred and raced more than 50 stakes winners including multiple Grade 1 winner Marlin and Grade 2 winners Ivanavinalot, Watch Me Go and Blazing Sword.

Trainer

Ned Allar

New Jersey-born Edward ‘Ned’ Allard has never had a Preakness starter. He is well known as the trainer of Hall of Fame mare Mom’s Command, champion 3-year-old female of 1985 after sweeping New York’s Triple Tiara – the Acorn, Mother Goose and Coaching Club American Oaks.

Allard’s father was a professor at New York’s famed Julliard School of Music. He began his training career in 1970 at Lincoln Downs in Rhode Island and became one of New England’s leading trainers for the next two decades, elected to the fourth class of the New England Turf Writers Association Hall of Fame in 2009.

Allard relocated to the Mid-Atlantic region in 1990 and over his career has won more than 2,600 races and $38 million in purse earnings with 11 graded stakes, seven of them by Mom’s Command, including the 1984 Selima (G1) at Laurel Park.

Two of Allard’s other graded wins came in Maryland, with Miss Indy Anna in the 1993 Columbia Stakes (G3), now the Safely Kept, at Laurel and the 2004 Pimlico Breeders’ Cup Distaff Handicap (G3) with Friel’s for Real.